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Assorted notes
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Unsorted notes on the grammar of Gfiewish
This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 29 May 2022, 20:44.

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Menu 1. Unmarked features 2. Cases 3. Moods 4. Syntax 5. Questions 6. Derivation morphology

[edit] [top]Unmarked features


SGSingular (number)
one countable entity
, INANInanimate (gender/class)
inanimate, sessile
, 3SThird person singular (person)
neither speaker nor addressee
.PRESPresent tense (tense)
current
, PRESPresent tense (tense)
current
= unmarked



"Human" noun classSingularPaucalPlural*
ABSunmarkeds-/se-k-/ko-
ERGa-, in front of vowels ja-
with the a- replacing the vowel
k-/ka-kla-
DATdo-el-w-/wa-
GENtr-sr-ker-
LOCg-sga-gek-
INSTRwlu-fla-kawl-
COMha-sa-ga-


"Animate" noun classSingularPaucalPlural*
ABSunmarkedz-/ze-ge-
ERGek-nj-/nja-gan-
DATro-/r-zor-rok-
GENte-**/tel-ste-deg-
LOCak-zak-g-
INSTRhel-/hl-sel-/sl-kl-/kle-
COMhew-zew-wef-


"Inanimate" noun classSingularPaucalPlural*
ABSunmarkedt-/ta-he-
ERGobb-/oba-att-/ate-heb-
DATso-sto-hes-
GENbr-/bro-sw-/swo-bre-
LOCg-teg-ge-
INSTRko-/sr-wub-hok-
COMon-tom-no-


*Sometimes ABS.PL is denoted with ablaut (e.g. jges - jgios), which then also affects the other plural forms, making them irregular. (A table showing the differences is going to be added later)
**before longer words with three or more syllables



IMP = verb stem + identical vowel (if ending in a vowel), or identical last sound + identical last vowel

COND-Realis: if + non-past, non-past (+ future adverbial)
COND-Irrealis, present: if + non+past + COND, non-past
COND-Irrealis, past: if + past + COND, past

[edit] [top]Syntax


SOV, with subclauses marked by a suffix (-iw) attached to the main verb of the subclause.

Examples:

Fes Sr=gfiewgjknsiorjgiosowna kl=ot
/fɛʂ ʂɹə.gʷɪəʍ.ʒɘʝɘ.knʂɪʊɹ.jɘ.ʒɪʊ.ʂʊʍ.na kɭot/
1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I
.ABSAbsolutive (case)
TRANS object, INTR argument
COMComitative (case)
'together with'
-Gfiewish 1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I
-talk

"I speak with Gfiewish" (="I speak Gfiewish")

Guu te luk tajs kestre fli kra otosa asstajiw wu xetsa sassobtu lo!
/gɯʷɯ tə ɭɯk taʝəʂ kɛʂtɹə fɭɪ kɹa ʊʈoʂa ɐztɐʝɪʍ ʍʊ xɛtʂa ʂazob̪ʈʊ ɭʊ/

Gu-u te luk Ø-Ø-taj-s Ø-kestre fli kra oto-sa ass-taj-iw wu xet-sa s-ass-optu lo
Think-IMPImperative (mood)
command
about 3Third person (person)
neither speaker nor addressee
.PAUPaucal (number)
a few, some
.GENGenitive (case)
possessive
ABSAbsolutive (case)
TRANS object, INTR argument
-INANInanimate (gender/class)
inanimate, sessile
-can-ADJZAdjectiviser (syntax)
turns word into adjective
ABSAbsolutive (case)
TRANS object, INTR argument
-happiness if in_order_to say-INFInfinitive (TAM)
non-tensed verb
1First person (person)
speaker, signer, etc; I
.PAUPaucal (number)
a few, some
-can-SRSubordinator
marks subordinate clause
NEGNegative (polarity)
not
come-INFInfinitive (TAM)
non-tensed verb
ANTIPAntipassive voice (valency)
valency is decreased by one
-1First person (person)
speaker, signer, etc; I
.PAUPaucal (number)
a few, some
-call CONDConditional (mood)
would

Think about their possible happiness if we called to say we can't come!

[edit] [top]Questions


Questions use a suffix (-ef), and are attached to the main verb of the sentence.

Example:

Retansa helesjgios ajnjat assnawotef?
/ɹɛʈɐnsa hɛɭəsjɘʒɪʊʂ ɐʝɐt ɐznaʍoʈɛf/
retan-sa Ø-heles-jgios ajnjat ass-nawot-ef
visit-INFInfinitive (TAM)
non-tensed verb
ABSAbsolutive (case)
TRANS object, INTR argument
-with-people ERGErgative (case)
TRANS subject; agent
-1First person (person)
speaker, signer, etc; I
.PAUPaucal (number)
a few, some
1First person (person)
speaker, signer, etc; I
.PAUPaucal (number)
a few, some
-need-QInterrogative
question

Do we need to visit the neighbors?

[edit] [top]Derivation morphology

ADV = -ub (dekfles = sick, ill, dekflesub = sickly)
ADJZ = -s, -kl (taj(sa) = to be able, tajs = possible), -i (for deriving from dynamic verbs or certain nouns, rf = creek, rwi = running, uninterrupted)
NMZ =
verb with no INF (gelwsa = to please, gelw = pleasing),
-g/-ig for adjectives and other words to derive animate nouns,
b-/bo- for abstract nouns,
ar- for inanimate nouns that aren't abstract,
-o for deriving abstracter/more general nouns, especially from abstract adjectives (a kind of augmentative suffix, fox =
empty, foxo = nothing, nothingness, but bofox = emptiness)
-ka for professions or other nouns of the "human" class (foj = sheep, fojka = shepherd)
NEG = -w, -wu (tajs = possible, tajsw = impossible)
made of X = -n (gelw = pleasing, gelwn = pleasure)
towards (direction) = re- (tansa = to go, retansa = to visit)
originating from, coming from = en-
INSTR = -ok, deletes INF suffix (hletsa = to sit, hletok = seat, chair)
AUG = zwja- (from zwjatas, 'rock, boulder', hletok = seat, chair, zwjahletok = armchair)
DIM = we-, -is
CAUS = ex- (strewsa = be unhappy, disenchanted, exstrewsa = to make so. unhappy, disappoint)
opposite = -fe (bosa = to reflect on, bofesa = gloss over sth.)
LOC = g- (especially for placenames, fojkio = shepherd, gfojkio = at the sphepherds) and -mt (mostly for natural places, not buildings etc.)

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